Slim, washable, flexible, personalizable multi-use storage device

ABSTRACT

A storage device for storing electrical cords, wire(s) and other objects. The storage device includes at least one sheet of flexible material adhered together on a at least one edge and open on at least one edge. The storage device also includes an elastic or tension feature that is around a circumference of the storage device in close proximity to the at least one open edge. An electrical cord or wire(s) that is wrapped around a section of the at least one sheet of flexible material is held in place by the elastic or tension feature after the at least one open edge is folded over to cover the wrapped electrical cord or wire(s).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to a multi-use storage device and, more particularly, to a flexible multi-use storage device that stores a variety of objects including electrical cords and wires, and that allows for electrical cords and wires to be quickly wound and unwound.

2. Discussion of the Related Art

In the mobile society of today people often travel with computing and/or handheld devices, such as phones, portable music devices, Bluetooth headsets and mass storage devices (e.g., memory sticks). Many of these devices require electrical cables and/or wires, whether it be for charging, downloading, pairing, or listening purposes. These wires typically need to be wound and unwound several times, and may become tangled. Thus, there is a need in the art for a way to quickly wind and unwind these electrical cords and wires. There is further a need in the art for a way to store and protect, in an untangled manner, the electrical cords and/or wires once they are wound, as well as a need for storing the computing/handheld devices and/or objects associated with the electrical cords and/or wires within the same storage device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a storage device for storing electrical cords, wire(s) and other objects is disclosed that includes at least one sheet of flexible material adhered together on at least one edge and open on at least one edge. The storage device also includes an elastic or tension feature that is around a circumference of the storage device in close proximity to the at least one open edge. An electrical cord or wire(s) that is wrapped around a section of the at least one sheet of flexible material is held in place by the elastic or tension feature after the at least one open edge is folded over to cover the wrapped electrical cord or wire(s).

Additional features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a storage device;

FIG. 2 is a sketch illustrating placing fingers in an open edge of the storage device;

FIG. 3 is a sketch illustrating folding a bottom portion of the storage device over wires that have been wound around the storage device;

FIG. 4 is a sketch of optionally inserting a device or object inside a folded storage device;

FIG. 5 is a sketch illustrating how two edges of a storage device may be folded over;

FIG. 6 is a sketch illustrating how a storage device with two edges that are folded over may be worn as a wristband or bracelet;

FIG. 7 a is a front view of another embodiment of the storage device in an unfolded state;

FIG. 7 b is a front view of the another embodiment of the storage device in a folded state;

FIG. 8 is a front view of another embodiment for the storage device; and

FIG. 9 is a side view illustrating an additional use for the storage device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The following discussion of the embodiments of the invention directed to multi-use storage devices is merely exemplary in nature, and is in no way intended to limit the invention or its applications or uses.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a storage device 10 that is used, for example, to wind and store electrical cords and wires. The storage device 10 is made of at least one sheet of flexible material adhered together on at least one edge and open on at least one edge. As illustrated in FIG. 1, edge 12 is open such that a device or fingers may be inserted inside the storage device 10, as is described in more detail below. Edge 14 may be opened or closed, may be straight, jagged, an arc or semi-circle, or any other geometric or arbitrary shape. Edges 16 are closed. While FIG. 1 illustrates a generally rectangular shape, many other shapes may be used, as is discussed in more detail below.

The storage device 10 may also include one or more eyelets 18 and/or one or more loop 32. The eyelets 18 may be simple holes or openings with a material around the circumference, and the loop 32 may be made of any suitable material. The eyelets 18 or the loop 32 may be used to clip the storage device 10 to a desired object, such as a belt loop, backpack, purse, etc. using a suitable clip or object 20, such as a carabiner clip. The storage device 10 may also include an electronic accessory retention feature 22 that may be used to hold a wound electrical cord or wire, or a portion of the wound electrical cord or wire, such as an end portion (not shown) in place prior to or after winding the cord or wire. The retention feature 22 may be any suitable material, such as elastic, and may be affixed to the device 10 by sewing, glue, snaps, buttons, Velcro™, etc. The wound cord or wire, or a portion thereof, may be placed or tucked under the retention feature 22 to hold the cord or wire in place.

An elastic or tension feature 24 that extends along a circumference of the storage device 10 near the edge 12 may be included. The elastic or tension feature 24 may be made of elastic, rubber, string, etc., and may extend outside of a circumference of the device 10 or may be confined within a circumference of the device 10. For example, the elastic or tension feature 24 may be an elastic band, similar to an elastic waistband, an elastic band within a circumference of the device 10, similar to certain types of hair accessories such as a hair scrunchie, or may be a strip of material that is fitted around the circumference of the device 10 similar to a drawstring. Although not shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1, a tension retention feature 26, shown in FIG. 7 below, may also be included, and may be any suitable mechanism, such as a sliding clip or similar object.

The storage device 10 may also include customization openings or features 28. The customization openings or features 28 may be utilized to customize the device 10. For example, by inserting or attaching letters of a person's name, decorative shapes, pins of favorite sports teams and/or characters, or Jibbitz™ the device 10 may be personalized. The personalization provided by the customization openings or features 28 may be permanently attached, for example, by sewing, embroidery or glue, or may be removable using mechanisms such as snaps, buttons, Velcro™, cuff links, etc.

The storage device 10 is made of a flexible material that includes, but is not limited to, cloth, cotton, jean, fleece, felt, leather, plastic, vinyl, rubber, etc. The storage device 10 may be a variety of different colors and designs, for example, solid colors, plaid, polka dots, etc. The storage device 10 may be washable. The storage device 10 is compact, slim and flexible, thereby allowing the device 10 to be collapsed to a thin profile while empty or in use, and for discrete storage in locations such as a child or adult-sized pocket, or a purse, backpack, etc.

FIGS. 2-6 are sketches that illustrate the steps that may be performed to use the storage device 10, where like elements are associated with the same reference numerals used in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 illustrates placing a hand or fingers 38 in the open edge 12 of the storage device 10 and wrapping an electrical cord or wire(s) 40, such as earbuds, around a portion of the storage device 10. As shown, ear speaker portions 42 are retained using the electronic accessory retention feature 22, however, the plug end or end that is opposite to the speaker portions 42 may alternatively be retained using the retention feature 22. Next, and as shown in FIG. 3, the edge 12 of the storage device 10 is folded over itself in a direction toward the fingers 38 such that the electrical cord or wire(s) 40 is covered by a bottom portion 44 of the flexible material of the storage device 10. Although not shown for the sake of clarity, the elastic or tension feature 24 may be used to ensure that the electrical cord or wire(s) 40 stay within the bottom portion 44 of the storage device 10. If a portion of the elastic or tension feature 24 extends external to the device 10 and a tension retention feature 26 is present, the elastic or tension feature 26 may be tightened to cause the elastic or tension feature 24 to stay tight around the storage device 10. The eyelets 18 or the loop 32 may be used to attach the device 10 to a desired object, as discussed above. Alternatively, the eyelets 18 or the loop 32 may be used to attach two or more storage devices to each other.

FIG. 4 is a sketch illustrating an additional feature of the storage device 10. A detachable plug, device or other object 50, such as a USB mass storage device, car charger, wall plug charger, SD card, Bluetooth earpiece/headset or similar object, may be inserted inside the storage device 10 after the electrical cord or wire(s) 40 have been wound around the device 10 and the edge portion 12 has been folded over to create the bottom portion 44 that covers the electrical cord or wire(s) 40. In this embodiment, the edge 14 of the storage device 10 is closed, thereby creating a secondary pocket 52 in the device 10. Although not shown for the sake of clarity, the elastic or tension feature 24 and, if present, the tension retention feature or clip 26 may be used to ensure that both the electrical cord or wire(s) 40 stay within the bottom portion 44 and the detachable plug or device 50 stays inside the secondary pocket 52 of the storage device 10 in a region near the edge 14. Alternatively, an internal enclosure 54 may be used to hold the plug or device 50 in the secondary pocket 52. The internal enclosure may be made of, for example, Velcro™. A snap, button, or any other suitable mechanism may also be used to create the internal enclosure 54. The detachable plug or device 50 inserted inside is merely an example, any suitable object may be placed inside the storage device 10.

Once the cord or wire(s) 40 and/or the device 50 are inserted inside of the storage device 10 these items are secured inside and therefore are more protected than if simply placed in a pocket or backpack, etc. Once the cord or wire(s) 40 are stored inside, the storage device 10 reduces the chances of the cord or wire(s) 40 from getting tangled. Thus, the storage device 10 saves time by preventing tangling and also increases longevity by reducing the wear and tear associated with tangling and untangling of the cord or wire(s) 40. By placing the fingers 38 of the user inside of the device 10 it is easy to wrap the cord or wire(s) 40 around the device 10 because it feels very natural, thereby saving time and frustration of the user. Additionally, removing the cord or wire(s) 40 may be done by sliding the cord or wire(s) off of the storage device and allowing the cord or wire(s) 40 to simply fall into an unwound state. Alternatively, when the storage device 10 is not in use and is not folded, the device 10 may be used to slide over devices such as phones, ipods, etc., to act as a cover to protect such devices from scratches, etc. This aspect of the invention is shown in FIG. 8, discussed below.

In those embodiments where the storage device 10 is open on the edge 12 and the edge 14, FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate how the storage device 10 may be used to store objects and be turned into a circular shape and worn like a bracelet or wristband as shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 5 illustrates the device 10 after the cord or wire(s) 40 have been wound around the device 10 and the edge portion 12 has been folded into the bottom portion 44. Next, a second cord or wire(s) 40 (not shown) may be wound around the device 10 near the edge portion 14 and then folded over to create a portion similar to the bottom portion 44 and that may overlap bottom portion 44 to create the bracelet shown in FIG. 6. The storage device 10 may be worn as a bracelet or wrist band when the storage device 10 is being used to store items as well as when the storage device 10 is empty. Once folded into the bracelet or wristband shape, the storage device 10 may be personalized as discussed above using the customization openings or features 28. Alternatively, once the storage device 10 is turned into a circular shape the device 10 may be placed inside another object, such as a pocket, or may be attached to items such as, but not limited to, other storage devices, backpacks, purses, belts, pant loops or similar objects.

FIG. 7 a is a front view of an unfolded storage device 48 according to another embodiment, where like elements are identified by the same reference numerals used in FIG. 1. FIG. 7 b is a front view of the storage device 48 after it has been folded. According to the embodiment of FIGS. 7 a and 7 b, the storage device 48 is open at the edge 12 and the edge 14, and edges 46 are sealed and concave such that the storage device 48 has a shape that is similar to an hour glass. The shape of the device 48 of FIGS. 7 a and 7 b is merely exemplary, as any shape desired may be used. A middle seam 60 that divides the storage device 48 into two separate halves may be included. Alternatively, the middle section 60 of the device 48 may be open, or the middle seam 60 may be an elastic portion that may be stretched or contracted. Similar to the steps shown in FIGS. 2-6, a user may insert their fingers in the edge 12 to wind an electrical cord or wire(s) 40, and then fold the bottom portion 44 up, as shown in FIG. 7 b. The user may also insert their fingers in the edge 14 and follow the same process as the edge 12 discussed above to achieve the folded state as shown in FIG. 7 b. If the middle seam 60 is open or elastic the user may wear the device 10 on the wrist as shown in FIG. 6. If edges 12 and/or 14 are not folded over to create the bracelet as shown in FIG. 6, objects may be placed inside, as discussed in more detail below in FIG. 8. While a broad range of sizes of the devices 48 and 10 may be used, a size that fits comfortably around an adult or child's hand or fingers is preferred.

FIG. 8 is a front view of a storage device 70 that is roughly the shape of a four-leaf clover that creates space for multiple electrical cords or wire(s) 40 to be stored, as well as creating up to four secondary pockets 52. As stated above, many shapes may be used for a storage device, the storage device 70 is merely an example. In FIG. 8 like elements are noted using the same reference numerals used in FIG. 1. The storage device 70 is open at each edge 12 and each edge 14. The user's fingers 38 may be inserted into any of the edges 12 or 14, and the storage device 70 may be used to wind and store electrical cords and wire(s) 40 as described in FIGS. 2-5 above. The storage device 70 may be created from two sheets of material sewn together along edge portions 16. Regions 72 may be a seam or open. A device 62, for example, a handheld device, may be inserted inside the storage device 70 such that the device 62 occupies the area between the regions 72 while electrical cords or wire(s) 40 may be inside the other two opposing bottom portions 44 of the clover leaf sections of the device 70. The elastic or tension features 24 of the unfolded edges 12 and 14 may be used to keep the device 62 inside the area between the regions 72.

FIG. 9 is a sketch illustrating an additional use for the storage device 10. Once the storage device 10 has the edge 12 folded over to create the bottom portion 44, as shown in FIG. 3, the user's fingers 38 may be removed and the bottom portion 44 of the storage device 10 may be placed on a surface. A handheld device 80 such as a smart phone or Ipod may be placed within the bottom portion 44 of the storage device 10 such that the remaining portions of the storage device, including the secondary pocket 52 near the edge 14, may be used to support the electronic device 80 so that hands free viewing of a screen on the electronic device 80 may be achieved. Alternatively, the handheld device 80 may be simply resting on the bottom portion 44 and leaning against the secondary pocket 52, a particularly useful orientation when the handheld device is sitting lengthwise on the storage device 10. If the device 48 or 70 is being used, any one of the folded edge portions 12 or 14 may be used to support the electronic device 80, and the remaining edge portions may be folded to provide additional support.

The foregoing discussion discloses and describes merely exemplary embodiments of the present invention. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from such discussion and from the accompanying drawings and claims that various changes, modifications and variations can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A storage device for storing electrical cords, wire(s) and other objects, said storage device comprising: at least one sheet of flexible material adhered together on at least one edge and open on at least one edge; and an elastic or tension feature that is around a circumference of the storage device in close proximity to the at least one open edge of the storage device, wherein an electrical cord or wire(s) is wrapped around a section of the at least one sheet of flexible material and held in place by the elastic or tension feature after the at least one open edge is folded over to cover the wrapped electrical cord or wire(s).
 2. The storage device according to claim 1 further comprising at least one electronic accessory retention feature on a surface of the at least one sheet of flexible material, wherein the electrical cord or wire(s) is wrapped around the section of the at least one sheet of flexible material and a portion of the electrical cord or wire(s) is held in place by the at least one electronic accessory retention feature before the at least one open edge is folded over to cover the wrapped electrical cord or wire(s).
 3. The storage device according to claim 1 further comprising a tension retention clip that is affixed to a portion of the elastic or tension feature so as to hold a portion of the storage device in place once the elastic or tension feature is tight around the storage device.
 4. The storage device according to claim 1 wherein the storage device fits comfortably over a human hand or fingers.
 5. The storage device according to claim 1 further comprising a secondary pocket of the storage device that is large enough to fit an object such as a USB mass storage device, car charger, wall plug charger, Bluetooth earpiece/headset or similar object after the at least one open edge has been folded to cover the wrapped electrical cord or wire(s).
 6. The storage device according to claim 1 further comprising at least one of eyelets or loops that may be used to attach the storage device to one or more other storage devices or a desired object.
 7. The storage device according to claim 1 further comprising customization openings or features that allow the storage device to be personalized.
 8. The storage device according to claim 7 wherein the customization openings are able to receive a pin, cuff link, Jibbitz™, button or similar object.
 9. The storage device according to claim 1 wherein the flexible material is made from cloth, leather, jean, felt, plastic, vinyl, rubber or similar materials.
 10. A storage device for storing electrical cords, wires, and other objects, said storage device comprising: at least one sheet of flexible material adhered together on at least one edge and open on two opposing edges; and elastic or tension features that are each around a circumference of the storage device in close proximity to each of the two open and opposing edges, wherein the storage device has a circular shape when each of the two open edges have been folded over.
 11. The storage device according to claim 10 further comprising a tension retention clip that is affixed to each of the elastic or tension features so as to hold a portion of the storage device in place once the elastic or tension feature is tight around the storage device.
 12. The storage device according to claim 10 wherein the storage device fits comfortably over fingers of a human hand.
 13. The storage device according to claim 10 wherein the storage device is large enough to fit an object such as a USB mass storage device, car charger, wall plug charger, blue tooth earpiece/headset or similar object into a secondary pocket of the device on either side of the seam after the at least one open edge that the object is inserted inside has been folded.
 14. The storage device according to claim 10 further comprising at least one of eyelets or loops that may be used to attach the storage device to a another storage device or a desired object.
 15. The storage device according to claim 10 further comprising customization opening or features that allow for the storage device to be personalized.
 16. The storage device according to claim 15 wherein the customization openings are able to receive a pin, cuff link, Jibbitz™, button or similar object.
 17. The storage device according to claim 10 wherein the flexible material is made from cloth, leather, jean, felt, plastic, vinyl, rubber or similar materials.
 18. The storage device according to claim 10 wherein the storage device may be worn as a bracelet or wristband once both open edges have been folded.
 19. The storage device according to claim 10 further comprising electronic accessory retention features, wherein each of the two open edges may be folded over to cover electrical cords or wires that have been wrapped around the storage device and an end portion of each of the electrical cords or wire(s) are held in place by at least one of the electronic accessory retention features.
 20. The storage device according to claim 10 wherein a handheld device may be placed inside using one of the open edges. 